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The other option is to use a cardboard shredder that will shred the cardboard into tiny pieces. You can either use scissors, a knife or a pair of wire cutters. The first thing to do is to cut the cardboard into manageable pieces. How do you break down cardboard for compost?.Other Uses of Cardboard Paper in the Garden.It would make a special gift for grandma or even their teacher. It will reduce weeds drastically and eventually compost into the soil.įor a cute gift idea, have the kids paint smaller cardboard boxes and fill them with soil and colorful flowers. Shred the cardboard and add it as an important carbon source to your compost bin.Īnother idea for reusing cardboard for the garden is to place pieces of it around plants in areas that are prone to weeds. Over time, the cardboard will melt into the soil but it will kill any undesirables under the pavers in the meantime. Lay cardboard down where you want a path and cover with pavers. Other Ways to Use Cardboard in the Garden Prepare your vegetable beds in fall and then cover them with cardboard to keep weeds from filling the areas. Or, perhaps, you are an antsy gardener who wants to get going immediately once temperatures are warmed.
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In spring, simply till the area and you will be ready to plant. It is similar to the method above, only you cover the cardboard with mulch or compost. Layered beds will become super rich and nutrient dense if you use cardboard. By spring you will have killed the weeds and the grass, and the area will be ready to till. Use those rocks or any other heavy items to hold the cardboard down to the ground. Lay the cardboard down on top of the area and moisten well. It doesn’t matter if the area has weeds or grass but do remove large rocks and other items you wouldn’t want in a planting space. The most common of the cardboard garden ideas is to use it to start a new bed, called sheet mulching. Garden upcycling with cardboard not only repurposes refuse but is useful in many ways. If you can think it, it can probably be done.
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There will be more rapid breakdown when using cardboard in the garden in this manner. If you are doing a layered or lasagna garden, make sure to moisten the cardboard first before topping it with organic material or mulch. Otherwise, keep it simple and only use the basic type of cardboard or you will be pulling tape and plastic finish out of your new areas. Some tapes will breakdown, such as the brown paper tape with strings through it. Any cardboard that is not heavily printed, has no tape, no shiny finish, is unwaxed and plain brown is considered clean and okay to use. It is important what type of cardboard you use in your landscape. You can use it as planters, to start a garden path, mulch a prepared bed, start a new bed and much more. Garden upcycling with cardboard has many more benefits, however. As a natural source, it will break down and release carbon into the soil. When you think about it, cardboard is just a form of paper and comes from a natural source, trees. Continue reading for more cardboard garden ideas. Cardboard in the garden will also kill lawn grass and help you get a new bed ready for veggies, ornamentals or whatever you want to grow. Reusing cardboard for the garden provides compostable material, kills pesky weeds and develops a bumper crop of earthworms. If you have recently moved, there is something fun you can do with all those cardboard boxes besides fill up your recycle bin.